Have we become too religious? Are we adding to the rules of Christianity? Jesus warned us with this parable.

Luke 18:9Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:10"Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector.11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer*: `I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector!12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.'

13"But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, `O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.'

14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

The sinner recognized his sinful nature and saw God as Holy unapproachable because of his sins. He saw himself unworthy to approach God, but came humbly to him. The Pharisee meantime saw all the wrong of others, and instead of building his relationship closer and intimate with God, he criticized others, and made his own rules.

How many of us are so quick to judge others, but refuse to see our own sinful prideful self?

We judge others by what others have said. We judge others based on appearance, not seeing the heart behind the clothes. We want to see the bad in people, and refuse to see the good.I remember a story of a woman that judged another woman by what her ex-husband had said about her. He falsified several stories about his ex to get the attention off his drug addiction self. She thought his stories were harmless, but one day, she saw that there were actually people that wanted to believe those harmful, hurtful stories. We need to be careful what we believe when we hear gossip, because gossip can kill the spirit. And there’s always two sides to every story. The woman became a victim of verbal abuse. Not to mention that she felt used for all the years she wasted. She even began to doubt her own self of who she really was because the gossip was so horrific. When we hear someone cutting down another person, we need to turn away unless that person is a victim to the crime. The one they should have been listen to was the woman that was crying her heart out in the inside for a broken wasted life.

I look at this presidential race, and I hear others cutting and dissecting one another to pieces, and I think somebody is going to walk away hurt or damaged. We see others quick to judge others by their past experience or decisions. Some of us have a hard time believing that someone has had a change of heart and changed their political views and party. This life altering experience can happen from maturing in life by becoming a parent or grandparent and seeing that children are a gift in life, a true blessing. This change happens when we start putting others first before ourselves.

But, we have those that carry the role of the Pharisee that are quick to judge with their judgmental man made rules. They don’t care what they say, or who they hurt, it’s all about the race to the finish line.

And by their actions, they are pushing others away from Christianity, because those that are watching are saying if this is what Christianity is “I’m going to run from it.” “I want no part of it.” Therefore, “I want no part of the Republican Party.” They have become blinded by others meaning the Pharisee’s rules.

So before, we think that we are so holy and mighty, we need to ask ourselves do these rules have meaning to God Almighty.

Or do we place ourselves first believing that we have a birthright to always be first. We were born with entitlement to become president, because our dad and brother was one, and I’m following those same footsteps. “I own it.” This is selfish pride when we put ourselves above what the meaning of democracy is meaning. “We the people have the right to choose.”We bunt heads with God and want what is contrary to God. We began to measure up and assess others saying they aren’t qualified for the position, when God chose a shepherd boy named David to lead Israel.So, we chase others off contrary to God’s plan, because we believe we know what is better for men than God, when we were created by God.We develop our own perception of how thing should be, and how they should end when God has already planned the ending.So why are we at war with each other when we know that no matter what we do, it’s all in God’s plan?Are we putting ourselves above the Creator, and if so, for what reason? It will all change in God’s season.We are only dust in the wind, are we going to risk our intimate relationship with God because of entitlement? Or are we going to end the race of time with a smile knowing that we worshipped, lived and worked the best we could?I encourage each republican or Pharisee to ask themselves am I doing this for God or for self?For God knows the ways and plans of a man’s heart.I saw Trump feel defeated, and crawl from the ashes of a debate to rise to the top. Do you really want to try and take him down again, because if it’s God’s plan, he’s going to rise higher and higher with each fall, and stand tall in the sight of man and God.Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Jeremiah 17:10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”Who are we to say who deserves to win?​